Cousins in town

It is horrible, but it has been a year since we have seen my Aunt Judy and my cousins. And it always seems that its only when Cousin Debbie and her family come into town that we get together. This year, it was their turn to come and see Max and the new house. It was great to see them, and Kar enjoyed playing with her second cousins too! Max was asleep when this photo was taken, and Kris was the photog, of course. But it was a great afternoon hanging out, enjoying the weather and catching up! I promise it won't be another year before we see you again!

This weekend has been low-key for us, but crazy for Orlando. This weekend, Orlando was the host to the NBA All-star game at the new Amway Arena. We've been avoiding downtown like the plague, but we did go to Sea World, and we didn't notice any traffic issues. So I can't wait to hear all the buzz about the weekend at work tomorrow.

The weekend always goes by too fast, though. Kar and Max were really good at Sea World today. Karmann is starting to know the different shows pretty well, and tells us what she wants to see now. Today is was the Shamu show - and thank goodness we caught it when we did or we wouldn't have gotten to see it today. It was a crappy weather day, so the park was not that busy - perfect for us!

Max is officially teething. He's drooling and blowing bubbles, and has this new grunting noise he makes. He cries when he bites his hands, and is not nursing as long as he normally does - which means he gets up more often at night. Hopefully we both get through it! But other than that, he loves to talk and smile and laugh. I've been trying to get a good giggle session on video, but haven't been able to yet. He does it a lot at school with his caregiver Edelima so I am going to take the camera in this week.

Well, the week is going to be tough as usual. Lots of meetings and things. We are getting used to the routine now, so each day gets a little easier. I better go get things together so we can watch the All-star game, and get to bed early (I hope!)

Just a very quick note

Max had his very first playdate tonight with Andrew Bell - which he enjoyed thoroughly! I will post photos asap, but also wanted to note that Max almost rolled over tonight! He was sooo close! More later, I promise!

Could he be teething??

Max is not the only one in his class who is over 16 lbs...his best friend Ryan is reaching 19 and is only a week older! The "linebackers" as they are known at school - are pictured with their loving volunteer grandma. As I've mentioned before, they are already great friends - as when Ryan's mom and I pick them up, they are often laughing at each other - actually cracking each other up! It is truly hilarious and one of these days I will take my video camera to catch the two of them! We are so lucky to have such great caregivers at the daycare and great parents too! We look forward to many good memories in the future!!

This past week and weekend, Max has been on a different schedule. My best guess is that he's teething - could it be? Is it that time already? Can he be that old already that he'll have teeth soon? Nooo....not little Max!!! It must be that I am experiencing something that mothers of more than one child must experience....that the youngest should always stay small and be the baby - and can't possibly grow up this fast!!! I get it now. It hit me like a rock with the teething realization. He's not 2 months anymore - he's almost 4!! And yes, I still have him sleeping in the bassinet next to my bed. 

Yet, with Karmann, the thoughts seem reversed - I can't wait for her to be a big girl - poop in the potty, get dressed in the morning, etc. Then I stop myself. She is only 3!! Before I know it, she will be driving and going off to college! So though she is growing up, she too will always be the first baby.  

Max's different schedule has consisted of waking up at 130 am and nursing for only 5 minutes and then being cranky for the next two hours, when he won't nurse more, but will suck on his fingers and stretch and arch his back. If I hold him up on my shoulder, he roots and roots, and goes right back for his hands. Finally, he'll be hungry again, eat and will finally go back to sleep. He's kind of been doing the same thing during the day, by only eating for 5 minutes at a time. This is so not normal for him, as he used to eat for 15 minutes on both sides, though he's down to 15-20 minutes total, now. But for him to only eat for 5 is making me pretty uncomfortable! And tired to say the least, though I guess I will adjust! 

My dear Karmann - She amazes me everyday with how smart and creative she is, that its hard not to think of her as a big girl. Last week, I had to drop something off in her classroom, and her teacher Ms. McDaniel, was there. I hadn't seen her in a while since Kris drops Kar off in the morning. When I got there, the first thing Ms. McDaniel told me was how special Karmann was - that she was brilliant! She said how she observes her vocabulary and her creative thinking. She also said that Karmann asks questions about all sorts of things and wants to know more about everything. It was a true complement! I know she seems smart to us - but we are biased! So to hear it from her teacher was really nice. The last thing Ms. McDaniel said though, was: now we just need to get the potty figured out! I couldn't agree more! 

Max is 3 months old!

I can't believe how fast time has gone! Max turned 3 months old yesterday! He is a whopping 16 + lbs and is happily transitioning into daycare and eating from a bottle during the day! He has definitely found his hands and loves to suck and squeak on his two middle fingers. He's strong enough to try and pull himself up when you grab his hands and sit him up, and he loves to smile and giggle all the time and especially when he sees Kar dance! We are just waiting for him to turn over, and we are working on tummy time, too. We just got FLOR carpet tiles for the family room, so more floor play time is happening with both kids and us too.
As I mentioned, Max started daycare two weeks ago and he is  doing really well. The ladies call him the little angel, as he doesn't cry or fuss unless he's really hungry. He's in a class of all boys - Ryan, Miller, and Jackson, and then next to another class with two girls and two guys. Ryan and Max are about the same age - and size - and they have seemed to become good friends already! The other day I walked into the class room to get Max and he and Ryan were cracking up laughing at each other! It was really funny and cute! I wish I had had my video camera!
We are all starting to get into a routine, which is good, though it isn't at all easy!  But we will get through it and it only makes the weekends more important as a family. Karmann refers to us a lot as the family, which she thankfully includes everyone and never ever leaves Max out. She really likes him and now that he is starting to interact a little more, she's falling in love with her little brother! He is still often referred to as "she" and "little sister", but she'll learn. She also often talks about how he was in my stomach - which I think is funny, but at least she remembers. I always emphasize that she was in there before also. Anyway, I am happy to know that there is a chance my children will get along and love each other!!
Well, its a quiet house tonight already, and with the Super Bowl tomorrow, I should get some sleep! I'll update 3 month photos of Max later :)